


The Fall to Earth

by GeneVojnic



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 18:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10702818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneVojnic/pseuds/GeneVojnic
Summary: Emma makes it to the ground safe and sound, and finds a new life to live. Everything has changed, and nothing will ever stay the same.





	The Fall to Earth

Fear. For the most part, that’s what I feel. The purest emotion I have ever had. But I am glad for the timing. I was going to be floated next week; at least here, I have a chance. I just wish the ship wouldn’t be so loud and shaky.

The council is sending us to the ground to see if it’s safe. Why now and why convicts? I have no idea, but I don’t care.

We’re going to the ground. How weird it is to think that. The ground, which we’ve been told our whole lives is completely unstable and inhabitable… We’re going to the ground.

I can feel the ejection of the parachute now, catching us with a crash and lowering us down hard. As soon as we stop moving, people jump up out of their seats and rush to the door. I feel that fear again, only it’s different. It’s mixed with excitement.

I can’t make it past the second floor. I hear people arguing below me, probably about opening the door. But then I hear the hydraulics roar and feel and pang in my gut. Soon, cries that, at first thought, sound like pained cries turn into enthusiasm and happiness. I follow the tsunami of others down, and before I can even decide if I want out, I’m pushed by those behind me.

My feet hit the dirt. I smell the fresh air and sweet scents of the trees. It’s better that I thought it would be. I run and jump with the rest of them, looking and touching and learning about everything within grasp. I feel like I could never get tired of this.

It feels like hours until I tire and have to sit. People are beginning to set up tents, so I decide to help them. After I’m finished with the third, and the rain begins, he ushers me in and away from the cold liquid.

“What’s your name?” I ask him.

“Gene.”

“I’m Emma,” I say, “This is crazy, right? Being on the Earth. Tell me I’m not hallucinating.”

“You’re not hallucinating.”

I laugh, he’s so serious, “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he responded, stretching out the ‘no.’

After the storm passed, we heard talk of a team going to look for supplies at our planned destination. I would have gone, but Gene asked if I wanted to help with a little project he was working on.

We gathered wood and sturdy vines, and then we started building. He was lucky to have found such a nice place to build. Flat ground, sort of quiet, still in camp, but far enough to avoid ruckus. I pounded thick sticks into the ground about a foot and leaving about 4 inches above so that the foundations could be on stilts and the floor wouldn’t be flooded every time it rained. While I did that, Gene made himself an axe and started cutting down trees for the walls and roof.

Back on the Ark, I would do anything to get out of work. It was boring and trivial, that’s how I ended up in incarceration. I ran a job for a parts dealer for some extra rations and got caught; that was about three years ago. But on Earth, I wanted to work for hours, days even. Just do whatever I could. I wanted this new start to be real. I have hope for a better future.

We got some walls bundled together and the foundations laid down before sun set. He offered his tent to sleep in, and I accepted. Something about him seemed a little off, but I didn’t pay too much attention. He seemed nice and we all need to be friends now, more than ever.

The party that went looking for supplies came back short one. Apparently, there were grounders alive, and one of them killed, or nearly killed a boy called Jasper; we don’t know, they took him with them. This both scared me, and excited me. They’re dangerous, yes; but they survived. I would love to talk to them, just once. The party was going out again in the morning to get him back.

We got the walls up and started on the roof, the next day. And by night fall, the party was back with a surprisingly alive Jasper, and a dead jungle cat. When the cat was skinned and cooked, people started lining up to get some food; the price was our brackets they gave us to see if we were still live. I refused, thinking I'd find my own food later, though my stomach disagreed full heartedly.

“Found something,” Gene waltzed out of the bushes, waving a stick of meat at me.

I took it, “Where at?”

“One of the groups want time to join up with them. Said I'd consider it for some food.”

I nodded. It was all a waste thought, as the blonde stepped up to get some and when the boy “leader” tried to stop her, she reminded him that there were no rules, according to his earlier statement. I think me and her will get along just fine.

 

“Lord, its hot today.” It was. I was dripping sweat too. I've been cold, the power on the Ark sometimes goes out temporarily for repairs or whatever and the temperature drops, but I've never been so hot. I'm not used to it. “We should take a break.”

“I'm good with that,” I agree, sitting under the shade of the half build roof.

“After we’re done, I'll help you build yours,” Gene said, more like a command than an offer. He's not the most generous, and he certainly knows it.

“Great,” I said. Beat not to draw it out too much.

“Hey, hippy. What's going on?” Someone else, smooth voiced, tall, bronze toned and muscular, walked up and stood under a tree nearby. He was addressing me, basically ignoring Gene’s existence.

“Hippy?” I asked, “What's that?”

“It's like a nature lover.”

“Oh. Sounds cool.”

“Hey, I heard you been staying in his tent for the last couple days. You guys like a thing or…?”

“No, no. Just helping each other out.” I was a little embarrassed. Not that I like Gene that way, but I don't want to embarrass him.

“Well, if you ever wanna get outta there, there's extra room in my tent.”

“Nice. Thanks, I'll think it over.”

“Cool,” he nodded, “Well, I'll let you get back to work.” He walked away.

Gene waited until he was gone, “You shouldn't. He was arrested for assault. He was abusing his mother for years after his father was floated.”

Wow, that was unexpected. “How do you know that?”

“I was a guard.” He said simply, without a change in tone or expression as he looked over the knots tying the walls together.

“My dad was in the guard. Lt. Shaw.”

“I know him. He's a good man.”

“I think so too. Hope he's okay.”

 

We finished the roof that day, and built the door the next. I was proud of our creation. It was strong; didn't even wobble. We put the door on together, as partners. At least that's how I saw it. In all the time that we had talked, Gene hardly spoke about how he felt about things, barely showed it on his face. He was as solid and emotionless as a rock. I wondered what he did to make him such a thing, but I didn't ask. Not really my business.

“You can stay, if you want.” He suggested suddenly while we were cooking up some rabbits over a fire out front. The plan was that I stay in the tent until we could build a little cabin of my own. “Until we build yours, I mean. I know you've been sleeping on a rock of the past four days.”

“That's true. It does sound kinda nice. I wouldn't want to invade your privacy, though. Now that you have some.”

“It's no problem to me.”

“Sure. Okay, I'll stay. I'll move my bed after we eat.” He didn't respond. He usually doesn't. He's not much of a talker.

I set my bed up against the wall opposite his, the farthest away I could get, but it was still only about five feet. I really didn't want to invade, and I know he was probably only trying to be nice and didn't actually want me there.

“Acid fog!” People outside scream. I've heard about it, how it's deathly, “Everyone! Get in the drop ship!”

Gene grabs me by the arm and drags me into the metal casket, setting me up against the wall. The door kicks in and closes while everyone takes roll and makes sure no one got left behind, not that we could save them if we did. I decide to lie down for a while.

When I finally fell asleep over the sound of Gene’s snoring and the moans and cries of Jasper desperately trying to stay alive as an infection eats him away, I dreamt of Kane. About the moment he sentenced me to death the day I turn eighteen, and about how I imagined my father took the news. He was really counting on me getting out okay. He thought that since I was only a kid, that they'd go easy on me. I didn't get to sleep the whole night. I laid awake for hours before the sun rose and someone opened the door. I deemed it okay for me to get out and take a walk. A break from Jasper.

Gene catches up with me before too long. How he even knew where I was, I have no idea. “So much for sleeping on a wood floor, huh?” I joke.

“Yeah. It's too bad.” He says, and I nod. We walk along outside the newly built walls, taking in the beauty and fresh air. It lasted for hours. I could never get enough.

But Gene drug me back to get some food and water. He was treating me like his responsibility now, not that I argued. I didn't mind someone looking out for me for once. Usually, I was the one picking up the mess.

“Hey, Emma. Good to see you didn't die in the fog.”

“Hey, you too.” It was the same guy from before. I didn't know his name.

“You never got back to me on that offer.”

“Yeah. I thought about it. I think I'm gonna stay with Gene for a while.” I said, looking over to the abnormally tall and built protector I've procured.

“Emma,” he stepped forward, looking dominant and a little scary. Gene stood up behind me and handed me a pouch of rations, “I–if you change your mind…” he was glancing nervously to and from Gene, and walked away. He probably decided it wasn't worth the effort. Gene is a scary guy, I'll be the first to admit it.


End file.
